Our First Blogoversary + Celebratory Giveaway

I’m so happy today because yesterday marked The Avid Appetite’s 1st birthday! I wanted to share this article yesterday, however, with big changes in our eating, I had to just push it off a day. I’m thrilled and a little in disbelief that this little blog is a year old. How did a year go by so fast? I feel like it was just yesterday that I was reviewing site designs and functionality (for hours upon obsessive hours).

I thought it would be fun to share a little behind-the-scenes stuff with you about what goes on here in the avid kitchen. Oh and scroll down to find out about our giveaway in celebration of the big blogoversary!

10 Things You Might Not Know About The Avid Appetite
1.  TAA is a recreation of my original blog, Between JC & Manhattan, which focused on my exploits in and around New York City (though there was a lot of food involved). There were hardly any recipes on there until its final few months when I was already working on relaunching the site to be more food-focused.

2. Until very recently, I literally received 0.00 comments on my articles. The only ones I did receive were from my sisters (Kimberly has commented on almost every post I’ve ever written), my mom and Shaun, who would comment under different aliases so that I’d think it was a random reader. Love them all for this.

3. The design of the site was done by a friend and ex-colleague from my Sesame Street days who used a photo of my Anthropologie apron as inspiration for the color palette and pattern. When she came up with the logo I literally squealed with excitement. I adore its whimsy and playfulness.

4. Shaun and I brainstormed the name of the blog for months. Painfully, I might add. Shaun would send a list of names. I would send him a list of names. Repeat. Again and again. None of them felt right. When I suggested The Avid Appetite it was like the skies opened up and started singing ‘Hallelujah!’ because we found ‘the one’!

5. I often take many, many photos of every dish that I make. Like 10 from every angle. This has led to a serious overload on my Mac Book and I have since had to get an external hard drive just to house my photos. I hope that once I get better with the DSLR I can cut down on the number of photos I take. But using the DSLR is so fun, that it’s probably unlikely this will ever happen.

It took sooooo many photos to get this just right.
6. Speaking of photos, Shaun often has to wait extra long to eat dinner and sometimes dinner even needs to be reheated before we eat since it takes such a long time to get just the right photos that I want. I’m not crazy, I just like things the way I like them.

7. Readership has grown about 6 times of what it was last January. Yowzah! I’m so thankful for each and every single reader, I can’t even tell you how exciting it is to get comments on the site or in person about the blog. I do put a lot of time, energy and effort into creating solid content for you guys, so it’s extremely exciting and rewarding to see how far we’ve come in just one little year.

8. I’ve made lots of blog buddies! This is one of my favorite aspects of blogging. I have virtually met so many fantastic bloggers and I hope to one day meet some of them in person!

9. After cooking up 83 {!} recipes this year for you, I have a whole new view on celeb chefs. While some of them I admire, think are fab and just want to hang out with for a while (Ina Garten, Tony Bourdain, Mario Batali), others I’m a little over. They’ll remain nameless except to say, really?

Ina's chocolate cupcakes. She never fails me.

10. I’m always blogging - 24/7, even when I’m doing other things. I like to say that it kind of takes over my life at times. Though through any of the unmotivated moments, failure to receive comments, botched recipes, wasted money on said botched recipes, I wouldn’t give up this blog for the world. It has become the most rewarding and gratifying hobby that I could ever imagine enjoying! So a giant thanks to everyone who reads and comes back for more!!

Now for the giveaway part. To celebrate TAA’s birthday, I’m giving away something that I am currently digging: Rocco DiSpirito’s Now Eat This! Cookbook! I'm semi-obsessed.

I won this in Heather’s giveaway and I truly adore this book. I have made the buffalo chicken tenders and penna alla vodka and cannot wait to make them again and again. So I thought I’d do a pay-it-forward of sorts (but with a new book, you can’t pry mine from my cold lifeless body). I’ll also throw in some other surprise goodies as well, so be sure to enter. Here’s how it works:

You can enter the giveaway starting now!
The deadline to enter is Thursday 1/20 at 6pm EST.
To enter, simply leave a comment! Any comment ya like!
For an extra entry, like us on Facebook and leave yet another comment telling me that you did so (shameless self-promotion, booyah!) Oh, and if you already like us on Facebook, just leave a note about that too :)
The winner will be announced on Friday, with the giveaway shipping out on Monday morning.

So there you have it. A little Happy Birthday to us, if you will! I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading over the last year as much as I’ve enjoyed sharing with you :)

-Rachel

My Love/Hate Relationship with New Year's

I have a love/hate relationship with New Year’s.

My sister once told me that she loves January 1 because it’s a starting point. A chance to begin anew. I simply look at it as a way to measure time.

While January 1 marks the beginning of a shiny, brand new year, it’s also the end of another one, which always leaves me a little sad. After all, it has been a good year.

Some Great Things in 2010 {big and small}:

• It marked a full year at my ‘new’ job - which isn’t so new anymore

• I went on 3 (that’s right, 3!) vacations...

Our Antiguan Long Weekend Getaway

Our Yearly (and 2nd Anniversary) Family Trip to ArubaYellowstone National Park with Shaun's parents

• Shaun and I purchased our first home, which we adore

• We spent lots of time with friends and family at various dinners, parties and other gatherings

• We leased a new car that we love - a Prius! Yep, we’re that couple

• I realized that groceries can be delivered (and my life was forever changed)

• I got really good at painting my own nails

• I made a whole lotta cupcakes

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Autumn Apple Cupcakes + Cinnamon Frosting

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

• One of which was featured in many spots around the blogosphere

Dexter Season Premiere Cupcakes

• I learned how to make my Grandma Mary's famous apple pie, complete with homemade crust

• I devoured said apple pie 

• Friends got married and engaged

• I started The Avid Appetite, found lots of fantastic blogs, and made lots of blog buddies in the process!

Not to shabby, huh? And with all of these great things behind me, I have a bit of anxiety over a whole new year ahead. What will it bring? Good things? Bad things? It’s anyone’s guess. In case you don’t already know me, that little lurker Change and I are not good friends. I’m not sure why, other than...well...it seems as though I just don’t like him. I’m feeling my heart rate increase just a little by simply thinking about it.

And don’t even get me started on the whole ‘getting older’ thing. That’s not lost on me either. I received 4 different age-defying moisturizers in my Christmas stocking this year, with a smile and a “It’s time girls!” from Mom.

Though at least my younger sister was included in the ‘girls’ reference. (And by the way Mom, after trying them out, I really do love each of them so thanks!)

So with this great year almost behind me and with some anxiety on my shoulders (that’s where I hold my stress ;)) there are some things that I’m absolutely looking forward to for 2011.

• Good skin (see above)

• The Avid Appetite’s 1 Year Birthday (coming in a few weeks!)

• Traveling - back to Aruba, New Mexico and ????

• Working to get our new home painted and fully furnished

• Spending lots of time with my favorite guy

• Getting back on track with exercising and shedding a few pounds

• Enjoying fresh popcorn at a moment’s notice (though I guess that won't aid in the above)

• Continuing to cook, eat and write avidly...and making more wonderful blog friends in the process!

So there it is. All of my feelings on New Year's. What do you think? How do you feel about the impending January 1?

Project Food Blog Challenge #1: Why me?

Challenge #1: Ready Set Blog!

I never knew that I loved food.

sampling a buttercream-topped cupcake at the San Gennaro festival, 2009

Sure, I loved a good slice of buttercream-topped chocolate cake or a great, meaty burger. But I never really knew that my simple enjoyment of these things would turn into a full-blown food obsession, spanning kitchens and restaurants, cities and countries.

lemon blueberry pancakes, one of my favorite breakfast creations!

It wasn’t really until I married the love of my life on a beach in Aruba that I decided to follow in my domestic goddess of a mother’s footsteps and learn what this whole cooking thing was all about. I was always mystified by her ability to transform any dish or even whip up the most delicious dinners on a weeknight between soccer practice and piano lessons. I so wanted those skills. And once married, I really wanted to be the cool, fun wife who not only watched (and could avidly discuss) football but could do some damage in our tiny apartment kitchen. You know, in a good way. And so a kitchen of food fun and exploration was born.

pizza dip, always a favorite in the Humiston household!

While not every dish that comes out of my avid kitchen is worthy of a gold star, (like my pizza dip pictured above which is always a crowd-pleasing winner) I’m all about trying new things, working with what I have, and sharing dishes that can be made and enjoyed by all - regardless of your cooking level. After all, I’m no expert. I'm learning as I go, just like many a reader here on TAA. And you gotta love my ultimate recipe taste tester, blog supporter and super amazing husband, Shaun, for always encouraging my cooking and blogging and for letting me rule our kitchen 24/7. Except when it’s grilling season (that’s his specialty).

enjoying a beer 'n brat at Jersey City's Zepplin Hall

It’s not just about cooking up the goods. Living just outside New York City, home of some of the best food in the world, my thirst for new foods just never seems to be quenched. With decadent food like truffled honey at Otto, mascarpone crostini at Fig & Olive and sweet potato hash or pineapple upside down cake at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, can you blame me? I’ve turned into a veritable food disposal...and I’m always hungry for more.

poached eggs over chicken & sweet potato hash at Mesa Grill...mmmm

Oh, and the fact that I love travelling just kindles the proverbial fire of my love of food. This year alone, I traveled to Antigua, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Aruba, the Hamptons, Wyoming and Montana, eating my way through each and every place. Not to mention my history of sampling local goods in Paris (can we take a moment for the genius of frites with mayo sauce?), Germany, Prague, Budapest, Sweden and Estonia.

Dutch pancake with walnuts, brie and honey at Linda's Pancakes in Aruba

I may not be experienced, trained, or all that ‘gourmet’ but turning my love of food into a full-blown lifestyle has changed my life for the better. And sharing it with all of you is just the icing on the cake. Having the opportunity to share my love of food, learnings and kitchen mishaps with all of you has been so personally fulfilling and I just can’t seem to get enough. I hope that you enjoy reading about my culinary adventures as much as I enjoy having and writing them...and above all, I hope that it inspires you to explore new food and get cooking in your own kitchen, whether big and fancy or tiny and basic! So with all of that in mind, I'd be honored to earn the title of The Next Food Blog Star! And with my love of all things food and having become the go-to foodie for friends and family, I just might earn it.

Please vote for me here!

http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/challenges/1/view/558